Princess Wencheng

EVENT DESCRIPTION

The New Cantonese Opera “Princess Wencheng” by Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Theatre Company will be staged at the Sha Tin Town Hall in Hong Kong in October. Featuring a star-studded lineup of virtuosi, the opera reshapes the legendary life of this iconic woman to praise her commitment to values and her love for her family and country, demonstrating the unity and solidarity of the country’s ethnic groups and the inheritance of national spirit through generations. The programme is part of the 4th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival and the Guangzhou Culture Week.

The New Cantonese Opera “Princess Wencheng” is an epic opera based on the history of Princess Wencheng’s marriage to the King of Ancient Tibet in the Tang dynasty. Unlike the traditional melancholic image of a princess in a political marriage, the play portrays Princess Wencheng as an intelligent, playful, courageous and responsible woman. It also captures the unwavering commitment to her values, relentless pursuit of ideals, and chosen path in life, paving the way for establishing a new era in Han-Tibetan relations.

On the basis of inheriting and promoting Cantonese opera, the music of the play integrates the melodies from the Tang dynasty, and with Tibetan, Buddhist and modern elements. Through spectacular and elegant stage design, lighting, and costumes reflecting both Han and Tibetan styles, the audience will be able to experience the prosperous atmosphere of ancient Tang and the beauty of national harmony from a thousand years ago.

The production will also feature an impressive lineup of outstanding artists. Among them, Li Jiayi, who portrays Princess Wencheng from the age of 15 to 55 and with roles ranging from xiaosheng (young male), huadan (female lead), daomadan (female warrior), qingyi (virtuous female) to laodan (old woman), has won the China Theatre Plum Blossom Award for this play. Other performers include two-time recipient of the Plum Blossom Award Ou Kaiming, who plays the role of Songtsen Gampo, and Plum Blossom Award winners Li Junsheng and Chen Yunhong, who portray Tang Hao and Madam Li respectively. More than 100 performers and backstage staff from the Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Theatre Company will participate in the performances.

The play tells the story of Li Xueyan, who is designated as Princess Wencheng and sent to marry in the distant land of Tǔfān (or Great Tibet). Though torn by internal turmoil, she accepts her fate, viewing it as her duty to serve her country, and sets off for her new home far away without qualms. On her journey, she has an accident near a cliff but is saved by the King of Ancient Tibet Songtsen Gampo, who has come to welcome his bride. It is love at first sight. Despite facing numerous trials and enduring severe challenges to her familial ties, love, loyalty to her country and even her own life, Princess Wencheng overcomes them all with a benevolent heart, wisdom, and courage. She devotes 40 years of her life to assisting her husband in governing the country. She also becomes a close friend of Ancient Tibet’s Tang Hao, fostering cultural exchange and integration between the peoples of Han and Ancient Tibet.

The Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Theatre Company was established as the Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Workshop in 1953 through the merger of the Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Troupe and the Guangzhou Hongdou Cantonese Opera Troupe. The troupe’s notable productions include “Guan Hanqing”, “The Crafty Princess and Her Reckless Husband, and “Revolution Comes to the Mountain Villages”. Upholding the principles of “Preservation, Reform, Innovation, and Development”, the troupe is dedicated to grooming talents and staging outstanding productions as its core mission. With these principles, it steadfastly moves along the path of sustainable development for the Chinese opera art form, exploring scientific and modern practices, and strives to promote this rich art of South China.